Do individuals with and without depression value depression differently? And if so, why?

Abstract

Purpose Health state valuations, used to evaluate the effectiveness of healthcare interventions, can be obtained either by the patients or by the general population. The general population seems to value somatic conditions more negatively than patients, but little is known about valuations of psychological conditions. This study examined whether individuals with and without depression differ in their valuations of depression and whether perceptions regarding depression (empathy, perceived susceptibility, stigma, illness perceptions) and individual characteristics (mastery, self-compassion, dysfunctional attitudes) bias valuations of either individuals with or without depression.MethodsIn an online study, a general population sample used a time-trade-off task to value 30 vignettes describing depression states (four per participant) and completed questionnaires on perceptions regarding depression and individual characteristics. Participants were assigned to depression groups (with or without depression), based on the PHQ-9. A generalized linear mixed model was used to assess discrepancies in valuations and identify their determinants. ResultsThe sample (N = 1268) was representative of the Dutch population on age, gender, education and residence. We found that for mild depression states, individuals with depression (N = 200) valued depression more negatively than individuals without depression (N = 1068) (p = .007). Variables related to perceptions of depression and individual characteristics were not found to affect valuations of either individuals with or individuals without depression.ConclusionSince the general population values depression less negatively, using their perspective might result in less effectiveness for interventions for mild depression. Perceptions of depression or to individual characteristics did not seem to differentially affect valuations made by either individuals with or without depression.

Factors affecting unmet healthcare needs of low-income overweight and obese women in Korea: analysis of the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2017

“…It has been reported that stress reduces or eliminates individuals' will to use medical services, causing frustration and resulting in unmet healthcare needs [34]. In addition, depressed individuals pay less attention to the positives and focus on the negatives [35,36], meaning that even if their needs for treatment are satisfied, they may not perceive the situation accordingly; their continuing perception of being "unsatisfied" may itself act as a risk factor for avoiding treatment [37][38][39], resulting in unmet healthcare needs. Therefore, it is necessary to develop strategies to reduce unmet healthcare needs through interventions and approaches that can assess mental health status and reduce depression and stress.…”

“…In this study, health status perceived at moderate level was associated with a lower likelihood of unmet healthcare needs. A study of 11,378 adults in Korea found that the risk of unmet healthcare needs was 1.46 times higher for those with moderate perceived health status than in those who perceived their health status as good [39], showing the need to pay attention to those with moderate perceived health status. One's perceived health status is closely related to not only one's comprehensive health status, but also to quality of life, and is a tool that can predict medical use or mortality by reflecting health coping ability and social resources [43].…”

What Difference Does It Make? A Comparison of Health State Preferences Elicited From the General Population and From People With Multiple Sclerosis

“…Patients are more likely to have experienced adaptation to poor health states and will take this into account in their preferences. 17 Studies focusing on mental health [18][19][20][21] or dementia 22 health states, however, have found that patients provided lower HSVs compared with the general population, and some research indicates that the relative importance of particular dimensions of HRQL may differ. 12,18,23 Furthermore, differences between patient and public values can vary according to the severity of the health state, with patients providing lower values for the mildest health states and higher values for the most severe states, 6,[19][20][21][22]24 resulting in "valuation compression" (ie, a narrower range of HSVs).…”

Unmet care needs, care provision and patient satisfaction in patients with a late life depression: a cross-sectional study

“…Accordingly, improvements in meeting care needs may not be recognised as such by the patients, and the needs continue to be seen as 'unmet'. Moreover, depression is in itself a risk factor for evading care, due to lack of confidence in the solutions offered by professionals and informal carers and/or a sense of being considered troublesome (Cummings & McClure 2008;Martino et al, 2011;Papageorgiou et al 2015;Walters, Iliffe, & Orrell, 2001). We support the recommendation of Hancock, Reynolds, Woods, Thornicroft, and Orrell (2003) that in the treatment and care for this target group, considerable weight should be given to the patient's perspective, in order to gain a sound understanding of the problems experienced, the care needs, the care provided, and satisfaction with care.…”